LumberJocks Woodworking Forum banner

Dewalt D55141 air compressor leaking air badly

12K views 11 replies 10 participants last post by  splintergroup 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Just got out my air compressor that has been sitting unused for a year or two and it is leaking like crazy. After I turn it on and it hits its the right pressure and turns off I can hear what sounds like a massive about of air coming out of it. I can't locate where it is coming from though. The leaking is super loud, like I should be able to feel a breeze wherever it is coming from but I can't feel anything. It sounds like it is coming from the motor which doesn't seem right.

This is the model to spark your memories:
Musical instrument Automotive lighting Font Motor vehicle Musical instrument accessory


Is it safe to take the top black plate off so I can get a better view of the area under it?

Anybody have any ideas?

Thanks
 

Attachments

See less See more
2
#3 ·
You can mix up dishwashing liquid and water in a spray bottle, and spritz it around, looking for bubbles.

I had the same thing happen to a 25 year old Craftsman upright and found the pipe going into the tank had gotten loose. Rather than try to take it all apart so I could unscrew that piece and put teflon tape on it, I simply used tape to create a dam and bedded it in epoxy. It stopped the noise, and the compressor will come on about every three hours when left idle. Good enough for me.
 
#4 ·
Tank drain is closed.

The sound of the air leaking is so hard to nail down. First it sounds like it's coming from one location and then it sounds like it's in another location. It's almost surreal.
 
#8 ·
Sitting for a year or two? I'd lean towards bad seals somewhere. Do you hear the leak with no hoses connected? If so I would check the quick connects and emergency blowoff valve first. If that isn't the problem then I would take off the black plastic piece and start looking where the compressor attaches to the tank. Chances are something, over time without any pressure, has lost its seal.

I bought a 25 gal craftsman AC at auction for like $135. It was old, but after replacing seals and re-taping all inlet/outlet threads with Teflon it holds 150 psi for weeks after being shut off. Also, if I'm not going to be using it for a considerable amount of time I'll drain the tank down to around 45 psi and leave it. We were taught to do this with our SCUBA tanks as it kept the integrity of the seals as long as there was pressure in the tank.

Hope that helps.
 
#9 ·
I have used DEWALT DWFP55126 6-Gallon 165 PSI Pancake Compressor for three years. This is the high-quality small model and best portable air compressor. Capacity is the second base feature of air compressors as a small model. In the case of this model, the capacity of the flow of compressed air is 2.6 SCFM at 90 psi and tank size 6-gallon.

Great Features:
The motor can start up even in cold weather.
Oil-free pump is maintenance-free and delivers cleaner air.
The noise level of only 75.5 dB.
Extremely durable.
Highly portable.
Optional brad nailer kit.
 
#10 ·
Just to add a little funny. I bought a used AC a long time ago in Texas while living down there. Know ZERO about hem. It seemed to need to recharge a lot for its tank size and being fairly new….One day while moving it across town it rolled over in the back of my truck and broke off a pipe and turned upside down. Gallons of water poured out. Poor thing was al,pst full of water.

YES it can get that much water in them from the compression. I always open the drain valve at least once a month…

ALSO some how i got a cut/leak in my main heavy duty line on my compressor. Does anyone know anyway to patch/plug it temporary or other? I mean I can cut the line and crimp on a new end seeing that the leak/cut is about 2 feet from the business end of the line….
 
#11 · (Edited by Moderator)
I just spent this last weekend rebuilding one of my compressors. It was getting really noisy and not building pressure very quickly so I replaced the piston rings, cylinder sleeves and seals. It also had some small leaks, so I took all the pluming and connectors apart, cleaned with a brass wire brush refit with Teflon tape. Also went down to HD and bought a few rubber o-rings to replace some of the old ones.
Use the soapy water as Rich suggested above. If anything leaks, take it apart, clean it and reassemble with Teflon tape. Also check fittings to make sure they are tight. As much as the little compressors vibrate, something could have loosened. If you need to replace any parts they seem to be pretty available online. Just look up the part number in the manual and google it.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top